Battle of the titans

Chennai: Arch-rivals AIADMK and DMK are locked in a battle in the polls while actor-politician Vijayakanth’s DMDK and Left parties have joined hands. Congress, DMK’s ally, and PMK, another partner, are going it alone in the elections for over 1.30 lakh civic posts in which more than four lakh candidates are in the fray.

Also in the fray was MDMK led by firebrand leader Vaiko, whose party had boycotted the Assembly polls after failing to clinch a seat-sharing deal with the AIADMK during the Assembly elections. MDMK too is going it alone in the civic polls. The national party BJP would also be going it alone in the polls, which would serve an opportunity for the political parties to test their popularity among the voters.

The second and final phase is scheduled on 19 October. In the 2006 local body polls marred by allegations of violence and irregularities, DMK managed to win Chennai Corporation among others. But the ruling AIADMK is keen to wrest control, seeking to repeat its Assembly polls performance.

As per the orders of the Madras High Court arrangements were made to videograph the entire polling process in Chennai city and in all sensitive booths in the rest of the State